


Dwalin x Kiva

by Madkat89



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Battle of Five Armies - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Dwalin Is A Softie, Dwarrowdams are amazing, Dwarven Ones | Soulmates, F/M, Happy Ending, He wasn't thinking, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Major Character Injury, Protective Dwalin, Strong Female Characters, Temporarily Unrequited Love, What Was I Thinking?, communication is key
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26431162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madkat89/pseuds/Madkat89
Summary: Sometimes, you have to work hard to get your HEA. Kiva loves Dwalin, but will that thickheaded dwarf ever get his act together enough to tell her that he loves her back? Or will he end up losing her in the end?
Relationships: Dwalin (Tolkien)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Dwalin x Kiva

She watched with an almost detached air. It was almost funny, she had always thought that something like this would hurt more. It had certainly hurt the way her heart had twisted when she had seen them standing so closely, the dam smiling up flirtatiously at Dwalin with a hand placed lightly on his forearm. She had felt jealousy sweep through her, had wanted to storm away, but something had stopped her. And that's when the silence had descended, when she had seen Dwalin lean down with his own grin and kissed her. And then he had kissed her again.

That's when she had turned and walked away. It was odd, her thoughts were spinning madly but at the same time, she couldn't manage to grasp a single one. Before she knew it, she had made her way to the training room. It was empty at this time of day, the soldiers busy with their patrols and the others busy at their tasks. This was where she was supposed to meet Dwalin at this time, to spar with him. But apparently he was busy with other things and couldn't be bothered to inform her that his plans had changed.

She stared at the training dummies and suddenly realized something. She was done. She was tired and she had finally hit her limits. Kiva had been a warrior for years, training as soon as she could walk. She had been friends with Dwalin for years, each of them challenging each other to be better, to move faster, fight fiercer. She didn't know when it had changed to something more for her. She had wanted to go on the quest for Erebor, but Dwalin had asked her to remain, to protect the settlement and she had reluctantly acquiesced.

It had turned out to be a good thing. After Erebor had been reclaimed, she had helped with the caravans of dwarrow making their way back home. She had been assigned as guard for the Lady Dis's caravan and that was the caravan that had been unlucky enough to be hit by orcs just a handful of miles outside of Erebor. A roving band that had somehow survived the slaughter. They had attacked ferociously, their desperation obvious. They had managed to kill most of the orcs, Kiva had fallen back and taken over protecting the dwarflings, when she ended up being flanked by two orcs. She had just managed to kill one when the other had slashed her back, causing her legs to give out and flames of pain to engulf her. However, she couldn't give up, couldn't give in. Pulling on ever ounce of stubbornness, she fought through the pain, unsheathed a dagger and hamstrung the orc. When it had dropped to it's knees with a roar of pain, she had used her arms to drag herself over and had fought it, eventually managing to slit it's throat.

The pebbles had been terrified, but she had urged them further under the wagon and had dragged herself over so that she was propped in front of them. Tearing off her sleeve and ripping it into a hasty bandage, she wrapped her injury best she could, it would be bad if she passed out from blood loss. She then propped herself against the wheel, her sword across her lap as she told stories to the dwarflings in hopes of keeping them calm.

It hadn't taken long until the fighting had died down and Dis and Gemma came storming over, their axes bloody and their expressions fiery. The pebbles had streamed out from the wagon and the dams' expressions eased. Dis gave her an odd look for sitting and offered her a hand up. Kiva merely shook her head and turned her torso just enough for them to see the damage. Gemma quickly herded the children away and Dis waited until they were out of earshot before swearing. She knelt beside Kiva and asked, "How bad?"

Kiva had shrugged, swallowing hard against the urge to throw up that the motion had caused. "Hopefully, I won't die. I've lost use of my legs though. It will either heal or it won't. Everyone else?"

Her expression grim, she said, "We lost two, the orcs were wiped out. Yours is the worst injury though. Hold on. We'll get you to Erebor shortly, the healers there should be able to help you."

So they had bandaged her up, loaded her into a wagon, and made for Erebor as quickly as they could. That wagon ride was it's own special kind of hell, but she endured. Thankfully the healers had taken over as soon as they had arrived. She had heard Dwalin's angry bellowing when he learned that there had been an orc group that close, but then she was carried away to the healing halls, The healers had done what they could for her, but Oin had informed her sadly that it was unlikely that she would ever walk again. She had just smiled at him. She'd been told no her whole life and she had managed to prove them wrong each and every time. She would this time as well.

It had surprised her when Thorin, Dis, and Dwalin had visited the healing wing a couple of days after the battle. Thorin had made the rounds, talking quietly to each of them. She had been propped up on pillows because it had hurt too much to lay flat. Dis had obviously filled Thorin in on the specifics as well as Oin. He had thanked her for her deeds and told her that if she had ever needed anything, she just had to ask. Dwalin had given her grief about being slow enough to be injured, which had caused Dis to smack him upside the head. That had cause Kiva to laugh and Dwalin just winked at her.

And to everyone's surprise, she had recovered. It had taken months and months of hard work. Healing patiently and then working to regain everything that she had lost. But she had refused to give up, had pushed through the pain and the doubts and the days when she didn't want to get out of bed. And she made sure that she had regained every ounce of her skill and then some. Dwalin had never gone easy on her, helping to train her, guiding her through every fumble, every backslide. He would draw her ire onto himself when she failed yet again because she was too weak, then would cart her off to a tavern and drink with her until her spirit had been returned. And finally, she had recovered to where she was even better than she had been before the attack.

She had thought that they had grown closer during that time, that he was just waiting until she had fully healed before saying anything. She snorted. A fool, she was such a fool. And she was tired of fighting. She had done everything, chased her dreams for so long, pushing against everything that would hold her back. And what had she ended up with? Nothing, absolutely nothing. So she was giving up. It was time that she was realistic and moved on, did something else.

Taking her axe, a weapon that she had never really favored in the first place, she walked over to the central dummy. With a cry of effort, she brought it down on its head, cleaving it cleanly in two until it lodged into the torso. With a grunt of satisfaction, she left it there and walked away. Should he show up, let him make of that what he would. She had a king to seek out and a favor to cash in.

* * *

Dwalin made his way to the sparring ring, whistling merrily under his breath. Today was a good day, he could feel it. Orcs hadn't been seen anywhere around Erebor for months and even their trade caravans had been having safer trips. And finally, finally, the dam had come through with his commission, although her price for it was ridiculous. Three kisses, one for each item. However, he hadn't been able to keep the smile off his face at the thought of Kiva's pleased expression when she saw the items.

Although she would probably be irritated with him that he was late for their spar and do her best to wipe the floor with him. It had been such a long road for the dam. He had been anxious, waiting for her to join them at Erebor. He finally had the opportunity to care for her like he'd always longed to do. However, when the caravan had arrived showing clear signs of an attack, his heart had turned to stone within him. How had orcs gotten so close to the mountain without anyone noticing?

He had scanned anxiously for her, but she wasn't there. It wasn't until the healers had started pulling the injured out of the wagon that he finally saw her. She was pale, so pale, and in obvious pain. He had prayed that it wasn't as bad as it looked, that she would be able to at least walk to the healing wing. But no, she had been carried away on a stretcher and he had cursed loudly until Dis had walloped him for using such language in front of children.

He had spent the next two days scouring the countryside for any more bands of orcs, finding and eliminating two more until he felt that the area was relatively secure. His anger at least slightly tempered, he had accompanied Thorin on his trip to the infirmary. He had approved of his king's, his friend's, offer to the lass. She had shown bravery and when Dis had told them how she had managed to take out an orc even when her legs refused to move, he was in awe. However, it shattered him that she might not be able to ever walk again. He wanted to take her into his arms, tell her everything would be all right. But he didn't think that she would appreciate it. She had worked so hard all her life, fought for the things that she had wanted. So as much as it pained him to do so, he'd thrown out a smart alec quip that had caused Dis to smack him. But her laughter had been worth it.

And true to form, she had fought against it all. She had battled her body for control, for the right to walk and have a normal life. But she didn't just stop there. She wanted her skill back to. She had fought so hard, when so many other dwarrow would have given up. Coddling her would've been the wrong move, so he had helped her. And when she had clearly hit a wall, he would take her to a tavern and do his best to cheer her up. Nori had teased him that he should've just kissed her and that would've cheered her right up. He had walloped the thief for that. Kiva had enough on her plate without having to deal with his inept attempts at courting.

But now she had fully healed and was even better than she had been before. It was finally time that he could approach her, see if she would be open to his suit. He had longed for the dam since she had first showed up at training, her expression and determination so fierce. Over the years, he had come to realize that she was his One and he couldn't believe that Mahal had blessed him with such a fiery beautiful lass. It made him wonder what the maker could possibly see in him to grant him such a dam for his One.

But now she had healed and Erebor was secure, so he didn't have to hold back any more. He could offer her hearth and comfort, especially since he had his share of the treasure, enough to keep them both comfortable until the end of their days. Making his way to the training rings, he was surprised to see that it was empty. Had she forgotten that they were supposed to spar today? Or was he too late and she had come and gone?

He turned to go track her down, he something odd caught his eye. He turned back to get a better look. It was a training dummy, but it's head had been cleaved neatly in two. Impressive, considering that it had had an iron helm. Making his way over, he found that the axe was still embedded in it. He felt his stomach churn at the sight of the axe. That wasn't good. A dwarf rarely left their weapons behind voluntarily. It took most of his strength to pull the axe from the dummy, it was that deeply embedded. Holding it up, he grimaced as it confirmed what he had feared. It was Kiva's axe. The question was, had she left it behind or had someone taken her from here. He looked around, but there was no sign of a struggle. Why then, had she left it behind? Surely she couldn't be that mad at him for being a little late. Yes, he'd been a little distant the past week, but that was only because he had been anxiously waiting for the gifts that he had commissioned.

Unless, she had seen him kissing that dam. He winced at the thought. If that were the case, then he had some major groveling to do. And what had he been thinking, giving in to that dam's demands. He hadn't, he growled to himself, that was the problem. He'd been so happy about the fact that he was finally going to court Kiva that it had swept away his sense entirely. And how would he feel if someone had demanded a kiss from Kiva as payment? He saw red and the axe handle in his hand creaked ominously under his grip. He swore. He needed to find her quickly, do some damage control if she'd seen the kiss and be honest with her if she hadn't. He cursed again, they hadn't even started courting and yet he had already messed up. Just great.

* * *

Kiva growled, pacing restlessly in the side room. The king had listened quietly to her request and then asked for her reasons behind it. He had looked surprised when she had truthfully told him about Dwalin and how she needed the distance to move on. To her surprise, he didn't try to dissuade her or tell her that she was mistaken in what she saw. All he said was that if she hadn't changed her mind in twenty-four hours, then her request was granted. He wanted to make sure that it wasn't just a knee jerk reaction, because it was no small thing to uproot a life. She had been unable to argue, although she had stated that it would be unlikely for her to change her mind. He had then begged a favor for her. He asked her to carry an important message to Balin for him and only deliver it into his hands.

Wanting to stay away from her usual haunts, she had agreed. But when she had arrived, Balin had been deep in conference with another dwarf, so she had settled into the side room to wait.

* * *

Dwalin was growing increasingly concerned as he hunted everywhere for Kiva and kept coming up empty. He growled when a runner found him informing him that Thorin demanded his presence immediately. Ignoring the runner's flinch, he headed for Thorin's office. He had told Thorin that he needed to be off today. Another army of orcs had better be invading. Anything less was not important.

He stormed in and slammed the door shut behind him. Thorin rolled his eyes and held up his hand in a just a minute motion while he finished the document that he was reading. Finally setting aside the document, Thorin looked up and said before Dwalin could speak, "What did you do?"

This took him off guard and he grunted, "What?"

Thorin sighed. "What did you do, Dwalin? Lady Kiva was in here demanding a transfer to a border patrol, any available position. So, what did you do? Please tell me that you did not kiss another dam like she thought that she saw."

Dwalin sank into a chair and groaned. "This is a mess."

Thorin nodded. "I told her that she has to wait twenty-four hours and then if she still wants to transfer, I won't deny her. So you had better start explaining and it had better be good. If it is, I will tell you where she's at. If not, well, Erebor's a big place."

* * *

Dwalin raced through the halls. It had taken a good chunk of time to explain what had happened. And while Thorin called him an idiot, something that Dwalin heartily agreed with, he had eventually disclosed her whereabouts to the guard. He had mumbled a thank you before sprinting from the room, praying that she was still where Thorin had sent her. However, Thorin had assured him that Balin had several meetings scheduled, so it would take a while for Kiva to be able to speak to him.

Entering the corridor that housed his brother's office, he heard loud voices. After a moment, relief crashed over him as he heard Kiva's voice. He paused and took several deep breaths, trying to compose himself. From what little he could hear, Balin seemed to be pleading for her to give him a chance whereas Kiva was declaring that she was done, done fighting and done waiting. His heart cracked at that declaration and he stormed into the room.

Relief flooded Balin's face and he murmured, "Brother!"

Dwalin nodded at him and then ignored him totally. Instead he crossed the room and knelt in front of her. "Kiva, please, don't leave."

She scowled down at him. "Oh, now, because I'm leaving, you want me to stay. I meant what I told Balin. I'm done waiting and I'm done fighting for your heart. All that it leads to is heartache and I'm tired of hurting, Dwalin. You're the only one that I've wanted. But it seems that I was chasing rainbows. Pretty but ultimately gives you nothing. You've had plenty of chances to talk to me before now. So you don't have to pretend something to get me to stay. That's no longer your concern."

Balin quietly slipped out of the room, but neither of them consciously noticed it. He pleaded, "Please, Kiva. I know that I messed up. But please, at least hear me out before you decide one way or another." He swallowed hard. "If, after you hear everything, you still want to leave, I won't stand in your way. You have me word."

She crossed her arms. "Oh, this is gonna be good. I suppose that it's only fair. Go ahead."

And so, still kneeling, he poured out everything. The words spilled from him and he didn't even bother trying to stop them. He started with the very first time he'd seen her, how she'd managed to steal his heart over the years, how he loved her courage, dedication, fearlessness, bravery, kindness, and generous spirit. How her injury had scared him, that he thought that he was going to lose her. How he had wanted to do nothing more then hold her close and protect her from the world, but how she wouldn't thank him for that. How he wanted to court her, but that she didn't need his inept attempts at courtship while she was working so hard to get better. And how she was finally, finally in a place where he felt that she would be willing to entertain his suit. About his gifts and the dam's cursed price and how he should've never agreed to it. Then he begged her not to leave him, to give him a chance, to allow him to make it right.

He only stopped when she yanked his beard so that he looked up and met her eyes. "Yes, you're an idiot. Yes, I forgive you. And yes, I'll give you a chance. So shut up already." She brought her lips down to his in a firm kiss. Instead of standing, he pulled her down into his lap, wrapping his arms firmly around her and tucking her close, and then proceeded to kiss her breathless.

* * *

From his position outside the door, Balin let out a sigh of relief. Turning, he headed to let Thorin know that a transfer would not be necessary, whistling merrily as he walked.

**Author's Note:**

> So, here we are, a bit of fluff with our adorable teddy bear, Dwalin.
> 
> If you have any better ideas for the summary or title, let me know, they both feel kinda blah to me. However, I am tired today, so that could have something to do with it. My amazing niece Josie made her bold entrance into the world yesterday at 3:33 pm, but this made this very proud auntie very tired today, lol.
> 
> Also, do you use ax or axe? Both are technically correct, but I find that I favor axe, oddly enough.
> 
> I'll stop rambling now, lol.
> 
> Praying for peace, change, and a world without fear.
> 
> We are strong together!


End file.
